Envelop holder and feeder.



F. M. SPURR.

ENVELOP HOLDER AND FEEDER.

APPLICATION HLED um. 10. 1914.

Patented M11213, 11915.

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aftomaw THE NORRIS PETERS LO, FHDTC-LITHO., WASHINGmN. D. C.

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F. M. SPURR.

ENVELOP HOLDER AND fEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, I914.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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. 3140mm, Folsi'er' M Spurr THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LlTHll. WASHING ION, D. C.

F. MLSPURR.

ENVELOP HOLDER AND FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1914.

Patented Apr.13,1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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F. M. SPURR.

ENVELOP HOLDER AND FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10. I914.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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FOSTER M. SPURR, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENvnLoP HOLDER AND FEEDER.

Application fi led January 10, 1914..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Fosrnn M. SPURR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Envelop Holders and Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

llhe invention relates to and has for an object to provide an improved feeding mechanism for delivering articles, such as envelope, or the like, one at a time from the bottom of a pile of such articles.

The invention is intended primarily for use in connection with an address printing machine and while being more particularly adapted for such use, its operation is not restricted in this connection, and it may be operated as an individual mechanism, or in connection with any other mechanism requiring to be fed with such articles one at a time.

The invention comprises primarily a main supporting frame mounted upon suitable supports or standards, a separating mechanism secured upon and medially of the main supporting frame, a delivery mechanism coactive with the separating mechanism, a hopper pivotally mounted upon standards rising from the main supporting frame and adapted to over-lie the separating and delivery mechanisms, the hopper being constructed in a manner to permit its adjustment for the reception of articles of various sizes, and a hopper operating mechanism coactive with the separating and delivery mechanisms.

The invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the embodiment of the invention and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures of the drawings, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine with the hopper removed. Fig. 4: is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1%15. Serial no. 811,367.

operating mechanism from the side opposite to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the operating mechanism with the article in pos tion to be delivered from the bottom of a pile of such articles supported within the hopper. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the dellvery mechanism in its operative position.

Referring to the drawings, the main supporting frame comprises the two side-bars 1 and 2 which are suitably secured with re spect to each other by means of the crossbars 8 and 4 and are mounted upon suitable standards 5 which, in the present instance, consist of substantially inverted U-shaped members having their extremities bent outwardly in opposite directions to provide the securing ears 6.

Depending from the side-bar 1 is the hear-- ing plate 7 in which are journaled the forward ends of the drive shaft 8 and the counter-shaft 9, the inner ends of which shafts are also ournaled in the bearing plates 10 and 11 respectively. The latter plates are dependingly secured to the supporting bar 12 of the separating and delivery mechanisms which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The supporting bar 12 is secured upon the cross-bars 3 and t at a point medially thereof with respect to the side-bars 1 and 2 and is of a length to permit its ends to project beyond the outer edges of the cross-bars.

Secured to the opposite side-faces of the supporting bar 12 are the vertically disposed plates 13 between the upper portions of which is pivoted the arm 14 upon which is secured the plate 15 adapted to receive the cushioning pad 16, the purpose of which pad will be hereinafter fully set forth. A link 17 is pivotally connected to the arm 141 at a point intermediate of the ends of the latter and to the link 18 and the forward end of the push-bar 19, the link 18 being also pivoted to the supporting bar 12, thus forming a toggle connection between the arm 14 and the supporting bar 12 whereby the cushioning pad 16 may be raised or lowered from and to its normally inclined position as the case may be.

Secured upon the inner end of the drive shaft 8 is the spur gear 20 which meshes with the larger spur gear 21 carried upon the inner end of the counter-shaft 9, the

nected to the lower end of the vertically disposed oscillating bar or lever 24 which is pivotally supported at a point removed from its upper end to the Vertically dis posed plates 25 'securedin parallel relation upon the opposite faces .of the supporting "bar 12. A pitman-rod 26 is pivotally connected at its rear end to the upper end of r the oscillating bar or lever 24 and at its forward end to the reciprocating bar- 27 which is'arranged in parallel relation with respect to the supportingbar l2.

Located medially between and in parallel relation to the supporting bar 12 and the reciprocating bar 27 is a reciprocating bar 28 which issupported-between the bearing: blocks 29-and 30 whichare arrangedbetween the verticallydisposed plates 31 and 32 and the bearingblocks 33 and 3t secured between the inner face of the bearing plate '10 and the oppositely arranged plate 32*. The bearing blocks '29 and 33 also serve to support upon their upper faces the reciprocating bar 27.

Pivotally supported by the forward end of the reciprocating bar 28 is the arm 35 provided at its upper end with the flapengaging blade 36 having its front edge formed to provlde theupturned lip 37. In-

termediate its ends the arm 35 is provided with the abutment screw 38 against which the r'eciarocating bar 27 is adapted to-con-' tact. The push-bar 19 which is pivotally connected to the links 17 and 18 of the toggle connection between the supporting bar 12 and the arm ll has its rear end bent at right angles to provide the abutment 39, which is adapted to slidably rest upon the member l0 provided with the upturned portion 41 7 ing f plate which is adapted to contact with the abutment 39 of the push-rod 19 whereby to operate the toggle links 17 and 18 in raising and lowering the arm 1%.

Centrally pivotedto the reciprocating bar 28 at a point intermediate its ends is the oscillating 'member 42 having its lower end I provided with the recess 4-3 adapted to engage with the screw secured in the bear- 11' and its upper end provided with the cam-shaped edges l5 and 46 against which the abutment screws 47 and 48, carried by the reciprocating bar 27, areadapted to contact. i i 7 Depending from the side-bars 1 and 2 of the main supporting frame and spaced from the front ends thereof are the brackets 49 supporting from their lower ends the shaft 50 0f the delivery mechanism.

Secured at opposite ends of the shaft 50 and curving upwardly and rearwardly therefrom are the arms 51 to which is secured, at their upper ends, the flap-engaging delivery blade 52. I I I Mounted upon the shaft 50 and projecting therefrom at right angles with respect to the curved arms 51 is the lever 53 which is pivotally connected to the bar 54 which is fixedly secured to the sliding bar 55 carried by the bearings 56 and 57 secured to the cross-bars 3 and 4 respectively.

Depending from the sliding bar 55 is the lug 58 which is adapted to be contacted with by the pivot pin 59 carried by the spur gear 21. V

A spring 60 is fastened at one end to the curved arm 51 and at the other end to the depending portion of the stop member 61 secured to the cross-bar 4:. A second stopmember 62-is arranged at the opposite end of the cross-bar 4 and against these stopmembers thecurved arms 51 are adapted to rest in their inoperative position.

Rising from the cross-bar l and spacedly secured thereon are the standards 63 having journaled in their upper ends the hopper supporting shaft 64: which is of a length to allow its opposite ends to project therebeyond in a manner to engage with the bearing-aperatures 65 of the depending members 66 of the substantially inverted U-shaped member 67.

Secured to the lower ends of the depending members 66 and at right angles thereto are the hopper side-bars 68 which are of a length equal to that of the side-bars 1 and 2 of the main supporting frame. The front ends'of the hopper side-bars 68 are secured intermediate of the ends of the vertically disposed bars 69 which are secured with respect to each other by the cross-bars 70, the

bars 69 normally resting upon the cross-bar 3 of the main supporting frame thereby supporting the hopper side-bars 68 in parallel relation with respect to the side-bars 1 and 2.

Secured to the outer faces of the vertically disposed bars 69 is the hopper plate 71 which is of a width to permit its lower edge to aline with the lower edges of the sidebars 68.

Slidably mounted upon the side-bars 68 are the guide blocks 72 connected with respect to each other by means of the crossbar 73 to which are spacedly secured the standards 74: which support the inner hopper plate 75 corresponding in size to the face plate 71. The lower edges of the hopper plates 71 and 75 are bent inwardly toward each other to provide the article-supporting flanges 76.

Depending below the main supporting frame and in alinement with the supporting bar 12 is the substantially U-shaped yoke 77 having its vertical members 78 bent outwardly in opposite directions to provide the arms 79 and 80, the latter of said arms being'slidably supported upon the drive shaft 8 and between the bearing plate 10 and the spur gear 20. w

A bar 81 is secured at its rear end to the arm 79 and projects forwardly therefrom to a point slightly beyond the forward end of the supporting bar 12 and is secured at this point to the lower member of the bar 82, the upper member of which bar 82 is projected backwardly between the plates 13 and sliclably engages with the upper edge of the supporting bar 12.

Secured upon the backwardly projecting member of the bar 82 is the cam block 83, the cam surface of which block 83 is adapted to engage with the lower cross-bar connecting the lower ends of the vertically disposed bars 69.

Secured upon the outer face of the large spur gear 21 is the cam member 84 having its cam surface arranged adjacent the periphery thereof and at a point substantially 120 degrees removed from the pivot pin 59 projecting from the crank-arm 22 upon the opposite face of the gear 21. The U-shaped yoke 77 is positioned adjacent the spur gear 21 and parallel thereto and in amanner to permit its vertical members 78 to be alternately contacted by the cam member whereby to impart thereto a forward or rearward movement as the case may require.

The operation of the various mechanisms is as follows :After the inner hopper plate has been adjusted by sliding the guide blocks 72 along the side bars 68 to a point desirable for the placing of the required size of articles upon the supporting flanges 76 of the hopper plates 71 and 75, the articles being stacked upon the flanges 76 with their flaps downward and toward the forward part of the hopper, power is applied to the drive shaft 8 which drives the counter-shaft 9 through the intermeshing gears 20 and 21 and a forward motion is imparted to the reciprocating bar 27 through the pitman 23, the oscillating lever 24, and the pitman 25. As the reciprocating bar 27 moves forward the abutment screw 48 engages with the cam surface 46 of the oscillating member 42 which imparts a similar forward motion to the reciprocating bar 28 which moves forward in advance of the reciprocating bar 27 and carries with it the arm, 35 upon which is secured the flap-engaging blade 36, until the limit of its movement is reached and the upturned portion 41 of the member 40 has engaged with the abutment 39 of the push-rod 19 in a manner to 0p erate the toggle links 17 and 18 thereby raising the cushioning pad 16 from its normally inclined position to a substantially horizontal position. At the same time the reciprocating bar 27 engages with the abutment screw 38 and forces it from its normally backwardly inclined position into a vertical position and the blade 36 into engagement with the flap of the undermost article thereby exerting a downward pulling movement upon the cushioning pad 16, the flap being held tightly between the blade 36 and the cushioning pad 16 and by reason of the frictional engagement with the latter.

The cam member 84 now engages with the forward vertical member of the yoke 77 and forces it forward so that the cam block 83 engages with the lower cross-bar 7 0 of the hopper and raises it up in a manner to cause the front edge of the article to disengage with the flange 76 of the hopper plate 71, after which the pivot pin 59 contacts with the depending lug 58 and imparts a forward movement to the sliding bar 55 and the bar 54 and by reason of the latters pivot connection with the lever 53 carried by the shaft 50, a rotary movement is given the shaft 50 which carries the delivery blade 52 to and into engagement with the flap of the article to be delivered. The reciprocating bar 27 and the bar 28 having now reached the limit of their forward movement, are returned to their normal position upon further movement of the spur gear 21, through the abutment screw 47 striking the cam edge 45 of the oscillating bar 42 swinging said bar backward. The arm 35 carrying the blade 36 tilts to its normally inclined position and imparts a backward motion to the push-rod 19 and to the links 17 and 18 of the toggle connection thereby lowering the arm 14, upon which the cushioning pad 16 is supported, to its normally inclined position. During this retrograde movement, further motion is imparted to the delivery blade 52, which, having engaged with the flap of the article, forces the latter out of engagement with the flange 7 6 of the hopper plate 75 and delivers same to the front of the machine. The cam member 84, carried by the gear 21, contacts with the rear vertical member of the yoke 77 and forces it backward thereby causing the cam-block 83 to disengage from the lower cross-bar 70 thereby lowering the hopper into its nor mal position.

The usual follower plate 85 is employed to properly retain the articles firmly upon the supporting flanges 76 of the hopper plates 71 and 75.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have produced a new and novel construction of a machine for feeding envelops, or the like, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it will be obvious that various changes may be made therein without de- 7 parting from the spirit and scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. A machine of the character described comprising a supporting frame, a hopper pivotally' mounted above the supporting frame for holding a stack of envelops, means for engaging the flap of the undermost en- .velop of the stack retained within the hopper, means for moving the hopper to release therefrom the flap end of the envelop, means for releasing the flap from said flap-engaging means, and a second flap engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottom of the hopper.

"flap end of the envelop, means for releasing theflap from said flap-engaging means, and

7 comprising a supporting a second flap-engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottom of the hopper. 3. A machine of the character described disposed standards rising from the rear portion of the supporting frame, an adjustable hopper pivotally supported at one edge from the standards and overlying the supporting frame, means for engaging the flap of the undermost envelop of a stack of envelops .tion of saidframe, a shaft journaled on retained Withinthe hopper, means for raisingthe forward edge of the hopper out of engagement Withthe front edge of the envelop, a second fiap-engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottom of the hopper, and connecting means for operating the flap-engaging means, the hopper raising means and the second flap-engaging means, in one continuous movement. 4:. A-machine of the character described comprising a supporting frame, oppositely disposed standards rising from the rear porthe upper ends of the standards, a hopper for holding a stack of envelops dependingly supported at one edge from the projecting ends of said shaft and overlying the supporting frame, means for engaging the flap of the undermost envelop of said stack of envelops, means for raising said hopper to release therefrom the flap end of the undermost envelop, means for releasing the flap from said flap-engaging means, and a second flap-engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottomof the hopper.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a supporting frame, standards frame, oppositely rising from therear portion of the supporting frame, a shaft journaled in the upper ends of the standards, an adjustable hopper dependingl-y supported from the projecting ends of the shaft and overlying the supporting frame, means for engaging the flap of the undermost envelop of a stack of envelops retained Within the hopper, a cushioning pad cooperative with the fiap-engaging means, means for raising the hopper out of engagement With the front edge of the envelop, a second flap-engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottom of the hopper, and connecting means for operating the flap engaging means, the cushioning pad, the hopper raising means, and the second flap-engaging means, in one continuous movement.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of standards, a supporting frame secured thereon, standards rising from the rear portion of the supporting frame, a shaft journaled in the upper ends of the standards, an inverted U shaped member supported from the projecting ends of the shaft, a hopper supported from the extremities of the U-shaped member and overlying the supporting frame, means for engaging the flap of the undermost envelop of a stack of envelops retained Within the hopper, a cushioning pad cooperative with the flap-engaging means, means for raising the hopper out of engagement with the front edge of the envelop, a second flap-engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottom of the hopper, and connecting means for operating the flap-engaging means, the cushioning pad, the hopper raising means, and the second flap-engaging means, in one continuous movement.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of standards, a supporting frame secured thereon, standards rising from the rear portion of the supporting frame, a shaft journaled in the upper ends of the standards, an inverted U-shaped member supported from the projecting ends of the shaft, a hopper supported from the extremities of the U-shaped member and overlying the supporting frame, a bladefor engagement With the flap of the undermost envelop of a stack of envelops retained within the hopper, a cushioning pad cooperative With the blade, means for raising the hopper out of engagement with the front edge of the envelop, a flap-engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottom of the hopper, and connecting means for operating the blade, the cushioning pad, the hopper raising means, and the flap-engaging delivery means, in one continuous movement.

8. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of standards, a supportingframe secured thereon, standards rising from the rear portion of the supporting frame, a shaft journaled in the upper ends of the last mentioned standards, an inverted U-shaped member supported from the projecting ends of the shaft, a hopper supported from the extremities of the U-shaped member and overlying the supporting frame, a blade for engagement with the flap of the undermost envelop of a stack of envelops retained within the hopper, a cushioning pad co'clperative with the blade, a canrbloclr operating to raise the hopper out of engagement with the front edge of the envelop, a flap-engaging means for delivering the envelop from the bottom of the hopper, and connecting means for operating the blade, the cushioning pad, the camblock, and the flap-engaging delivery means, in one continuous movement.

9. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of standards, a supporting frame secured thereon, standards rising from the rear portion of the supporting frame, a shaft journaled in the upper ends of the last mentioned standards, an inverted U-shaped member supported from the projecting ends of the shaft, a hopper supported from the extremities of the U-shaped member and overlying the main frame, a blade for engagement with the flap of the undermost envelop of a stack of envelops retained within the hopper, pad cooperative with the blade, a cam-block operating to raise the hopper out of engagement with the front edge of the envelop, a second blade adapted for engagement with the flap of the envelop whereby to deliver same from the bottom of the hopper, and connecting means for operating the first mentioned blade, the cushioning pad, the cam-block, and the delivery blade, in one continuous movement.

10. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of standards, a supporting frame secured thereon, standards rising from the rear end portion of the supporting frame, a shaft coextensive with the supporting frame and journaled in the upper ends of the last mentioned standards, an inverted U-shaped member supported from the projecting ends of the shaft, a hopper supported from the extremities of the U-shaped member and overlying the supporting frame, a blade adapted for engagement with the flap of the undermost envelop of a stack of envelops retained within the hopper, means for raising and lowering the blade into and out of engagement with the flap of the envelop, a cushioning pad cooperative with the blade,a cam-block operating to raise the hopper out of engagement with the front edge of the envelop, a second blade adapted for engagement with the flap of the envelop whereby to deliver same from the bottom of the hopper, and connecting means for operating the first mentioned blade, the cushiona cushioning ing pad, the cam block, and the delivery blade, in one continuous movement.

11. A machine of the character described comprising a hopper adapted to support opposite edges of a stack of articles, means for gripping the undermost of said articles near one of its edges, means for raising said hopper to release therefrom the engaged edge of said article, means for releasing the grip ping means from said article, and a flap engaging means for engaging the article and delivering the same from the hopper.

12. A machine of the char cter described comprising a hopper pivotall mounted for vertical adjustment and adapted to support the opposite edges of a stack of articles near one edge thereof, means cooperating with said gripping means for supporting said article, means for raising said hopper out of engagement with the gripped edge of the article, means for releasing said article from the gripping means, and other means for engaging the article after its release from the gripping means to deliver the same from the bottom of the hopper.

18. A machine of the character described comprising a hopper pivotally mounted for vertical movement and adapted to support the opposite edges of a stack of folded articles, means for engaging the fold of the undermost of said articles, means for supporting the underside of the fold and cooperating With the first-mentioned means, means for raising the hopper out of engagement with the folded edge of the article, means for releasing the folded edge from said engaging means, a second fold-engaging means for delivering the article from the bottom of the hopper and a series of operating devices for actuating the first engaging means, the means cooperative therewith, the hopper raising means and the delivering means in one continuous movement.

14. A machine of the character described comprising a hopper pivotally mounted for vertical movement and adapted to support the opposite edges of a stack of folded articles, a blade adapted to engage the fold of the undermost of said articles, means for supporting the underside of the fold and cooperative with the blade, means for raising the hopper out of engagement with the front edge of the article, means for releasing the article from the blade and its cooperating means, means for engaging the fold to deliver the article from the hopper after it has been released by said blade and said means cooperative therewith, and operating means for actuating the blade, the means cooperative with the blade, the hopper raising means, and the last mentioned means, in one continuous movement.

15. A machine of the character described comprising a hopper pivotally mounted for vertical movement and adapted to support the opposite edges of a stack of folded articles, a blade adapted to engage the fold of the undermost of saidarticles, a cushioning pad cooperative with the blade and adapted to engage the underside of the fold, means for raising the hopper out of engagement with I the front edge of the article, means for recomprising a supporting frame, oppositely disposed standards rising from the rear portion of said'supporting frame, an adjustable hopper pivotally supported from said standto retain the opposite edges of a" stack of envelops, means adapted to engage the flap of the undermost of said envelope to hold same against accidental displacement from the bottom of the hopper, means for raising the forward edge in the hopper to dis engage the flap end of the envelop from the Copies of this patent may be obtained for hopper, means for releasing said flap engaging means, and a second flap-engaging means to deliver the envelop from the bottom of the hopper.

17. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pivoted hopper comprising a fixed wall and a movable wall adjustable relative to the fixed wall to accommodate folded articles of various sizes, of means adapted to engage the fold of the undermost of said articles to hold same against accidental displacement from the bottom of the hopper, means for raising the forward edge of the hopper out of engagement with the front edge of the article engaged by the first-mentioned means, means for rendering saidfold-engaging means inoperative, and means engaging the fold of the article to deliver the same from the bottom of the hopper. .ards and overlying said frame and adapted In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FOSTER M. SPURR.

Witnesses:

M. LEWIS, P. F. HUTCHINSON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

